Why Dubai Princess Sheikha Mahra Divorced Her Husband Through Instagram Post

Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum seems to have asked her husband for a divorce on Instagram.

The daughter of Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, posted a harsh message aimed at her husband, Sheikh Mana bin Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mana Al Maktoum, who is also part of the ruling family.

In her Instagram post, the 30-year-old accused her husband of cheating, saying he was “occupied with other companions,” and announced their divorce.

“Dear husband, as you are occupied with other companions, I hereby declare our divorce.

“I divorce you, I divorce you, and I divorce you. Take care. Your ex-wife,” Princess Sheikha Mahra wrote.

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She also deleted all pictures of her husband from her Instagram account, and he did the same. They have unfollowed each other on the platform.

Her post referenced the Islamic practice of “triple talaq,” where a man can divorce his wife by saying “talaq” (which means divorce) three times. This practice has been banned in several countries, including India, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco.

The Arabian Royal Agency announced their engagement in March of last year, and Sheikh Mana’s father confirmed it with an official poem.

Sheikha Mahra and Sheikh Mana got married in May 2023 and held a lavish reception in Dubai in June 2023.

Sheikha Mahra’s divorce announcement came two months after the birth of their daughter.

She had announced her pregnancy on October 18, 2023, with an ultrasound photo on Instagram. She captioned the sweet snap, “Just the three of us.”

She later announced the birth of their daughter on May 9 with a photo of the baby’s hand.

On June 4, she shared a selfie of her and her daughter snuggling together, with the words “Just the two of us” written across the top of the image.

On Tuesday, July 16, Sheikha Mahra announced her divorce on Instagram, a rare move for a princess in the UAE.

The repetition of “I divorce you” is part of the “triple talaq” practice, which is usually not initiated by women.

Some Instagram users speculated that her account might have been hacked, but the post and account remain active more than a day after the post.

Neither the UAE government nor Sheikh Mana have publicly commented on the Instagram post.

KanyiDaily had also reported how a Saudi Arabian princess was hospitalized in a state of shock after she discovered that luxury goods worth €1.5 million were stolen from her apartment in Paris, France.

Tobias Sylvester

Tobias Sylvester is the news editor for Kanyi Daily News and is based in Lagos. Contact Tobias at editor@kanyidaily.com. Got a confidential tip? Submit it here